them at the units, are able to park legally on
the street, she added.
Prior to adoption of the original ordinance,
as Patterson explained it, frustrations were
aired over the number of people parking
on the street to use what locals refer to as
"the dog beach," even though a county ordi-
nance forbids dogs at any of the public beach
accesses and the public beach itself on Siesta
Key.
Patterson questioned whether the commis-
sioners should amend the ordinance to allow
"probably only a handful" of homeowners
in the Mira Mar District to apply for parking
permits as well. She told her colleagues, "I
haven't had complaints about this in years,
but I used to from the one or two lone home-
owners …"
Cece took the podium to note of the ordi-
nance, "It's been pretty successful. It has
reduced the vehicular congestion on neigh-
borhood streets."
"Do you think that there are enough [home-
owners] who live there that allowing them
to pay five bucks for a permit if they needed
to or desired to would somehow unbalance
what's working?" Patterson asked.
Staff could go back out to the area and con-
duct a survey of the residents and then report
on its findings at the public hearing, Cece
responded. In response to another question
from Patterson, Cece said staff also could
conduct a phone call poll of the neighbor-
hood's residents.
"I don't want to create a bunch of work over
what's a pretty small issue," Patterson replied.
"We have the ability to amend this ordinance
at any time if we should find a problem, cor-
rect?" Vice Chairwoman Christine Robinson
asked County Attorney Stephen DeMarsh.
"Yes, you do," he told her.
Wi t h C h a i r m a n C h a r l e s H i n e s a n d
Commissioner Joe Barbetta both referenc-
ing old adages — "Let sleeping dogs lie" from
Hines and "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" from
Barbetta — Patterson again acknowledged, "I
have not had a call on it in about five years."
Commissioner Carolyn Mason made the
motion to advertise the public hearing for the
ordinance as is except for the change in the
sunset date. Robinson seconded the motion,
and it passed unanimously.
SOUTH COUNTY
RESURFACING PROJECTS
The County Commission on July 8 also
approved a $2,624,145.45 contract with Ajax
Paving Industries of Florida, which is based in
Nokomis, for the resurfacing of a total of 7.86
miles encompassing Knights Trail Road and
segments of Laurel Road, Blackburn Point
Road and East River Road in South County.
Work is scheduled to begin this month with
substantial completion expected in October,
according to a memo provided to the board.
The only other firm that bid on the project
was Preferred Materials Inc. of Tampa. Its bid
was for $2,932,827.82, a county Procurement
Department tabulation sheet shows. %
SHARE
Sarasota News Leader July 11, 2014 Page 64
